capability

noun

ca·​pa·​bil·​i·​ty ˌkā-pə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

plural capabilities

1

: the quality or state of being capable

also : ability

The mayor has demonstrated his capability to handle municipal problems.

2

: a feature or faculty capable of development : potentiality

This vacant urban district has great capabilities.

3

: the facility or potential for an indicated use or deployment

the capability of a metal to be fused

nuclear capability

Synonyms

• credentials
• goods
• qualification
• stuff

Examples of capability in a Sentence

The device has the capability of recording two television channels at once.

the nature of the tasks to which you are assigned will depend on your capabilities

Recent Examples on the Web

Building a highly connected organization where roadmaps are reflective of broader cross-functional requirements is necessary to deliver capabilities faster and with quality. - Mo Trezies, Euna Solutions 18. —Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025

The Chinese electronic giant has been talking up the capabilities of its first performance EV, the SU7 Ultra, for close to a year now. —Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 12 June 2025

But the biggest loser if the deal were to collapse may be Australia, defense experts said: The country has no viable alternative in terms of its nuclear submarine capability even as Canberra has grown increasingly concerned about China’s growing military strength. —Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 12 June 2025

However, Hezbollah has been significantly weakened by recent Israeli military campaigns and crippling economic sanctions, limiting its current capabilities. —Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

see capable

First Known Use

1587, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing capability

• nuclear capability

Rhymes for capability

• affability
• audibility
• bistability
• changeability
• contractility
• credibility
• culpability
• disability
• disutility
• durability
• fallibility
• feasibility